Touch-sensitive displays (also known as “touch screens” or “touchscreens”) are well known in the art. Touch screens are used in many electronic devices to display graphics and text, and to provide an interface through which a user may interact with the devices. For example, touch screens may receive user actions or behaviors, including user attempts to access a device's features or tools. In particular, touch screens are designed to detect and respond to contact on the touch screen and movement of the point of contact on the touch screen. A device may display one or more soft keys, menus and/or other user-interface objects on the touch screen. A user may interact with the device by contacting the touch screen at locations corresponding to the user-interface objects with which he or she wishes to interact.
One challenge with touch screens is to provide sensory feedback to a user such that the user has the perception that he or she is actively interacting with a user-interface object, such as a soft key. In devices with physical buttons, the user gets a tactile sensation from pushing a physical button. However, sensory feedback that is suitable for physical buttons may not be suitable for soft keys on touch screens. The user may not perceive a tactile sensation with a soft key since the touch screen on which the soft key is displayed is often flat.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved techniques for providing users with an indication of interaction with soft keys.